Cardea vs RustDesk
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Cardea
SSH bastion server with access control, session recording, and
VS
RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop alternative to TeamViewer
| Feature | Cardea | RustDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | EUPL-1.2 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 34 | ★ 119,867 |
| First released | 2026 | 2021 |
| Replaces | — | TeamViewer, AnyDesk |
Why pick each one
Choose Cardea if…
- Released under the EUPL-1.2 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Cardea or RustDesk better?
RustDesk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Cardea if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Cardea and RustDesk free and open-source?
Yes. Cardea is licensed under EUPL-1.2 and RustDesk under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cardea and RustDesk with Docker?
Cardea: yes. RustDesk: yes.